As an exclusive media partner, environment coastal & offshore (eco) magazine presents a new partnership spotlight series, where we look back at past Ocean Exchange finalists and share brief updates on where they are now.
Salient Predictions
Salient Predictions was founded in 2019 by Matt Stein, Dr. Ray Schmitt, and his sons. The company combines newly discovered predictability in ocean variables with advanced machine learning techniques to deliver more accurate, reliable weather forecasts. They were a finalist at Ocean Exchange in 2022.
Since Ocean Exchange, they have been advancing the field of probabilistic, energy-focused weather forecasting through their B2B subscription forecasting service. They have continued to demonstrate strong commercial traction with customers in hydrology and energy seeking greater accuracy in resiliency planning for significant weather events. Agriculture, energy, insurance, offshore wind farms, and ships at sea can all greatly benefit from their forecasts. From 2022 to present, they have raised approximately $11.9 million through a combination of venture capital funding and non-dilutive grants.
Lios
Lios—inventors of SoundBounce—was founded in 2009 by Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll. Lios is an Irish deep-tech company with a mission to eliminate harmful noise at its source by delivering high-performance sustainable acoustic materials that control noise and vibration. They were a finalist at Ocean Exchange in 2022.
Since 2021, Lios has been partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deploy SoundBounce as a Fairing Acoustic Protection (FAP) used in space flight. In 2026, SoundBounce was showcased at the European Innovation Council’s program tackling noise and vibration in large ships. In 2023, they won the European Patent Office Invention of the Year.
Lios was awarded a €2.5 million grant and €3.75 million in recommended equity from the European Innovation Council (EIC) in 2025. With this milestone, they have launched production, targeting a first launch in the construction industry with SoundBounce ceiling tiles.
Explicit ApS
Explicit ApS, founded in 1998 by Bettina and Jon Knudsen, is based in Denmark. Using advanced drone technology, Explicit measures harmful emissions and delivers actionable data. Ocean Exchange welcomed them to the stage as a finalist in 2014 for their solution on how to independently monitor sulfur emissions from ships.
The team has reached several significant milestones in 2025. A major contract with Equinor Energy to survey methane emissions across their Norwegian assets, including more than 40 offshore and onshore facilities, and a breakthrough in N2O monitoring with a final report published by the Danish Ministry of Environment that confirmed the effectiveness of their technology for monitoring nitrous oxide at wastewater treatment plants, to name a few.
Over the course of 2025, the company experienced more than 100% revenue growth, with survey operations expanded to more than 20 countries across five continents.
This spotlight appeared in environment coastal & offshore (eco) magazine’s 2026 issue IV. Read in the magazine here.
